


Swimming Free

by ZippyZapmeister



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Swimming, exercise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 22:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15738264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZippyZapmeister/pseuds/ZippyZapmeister
Summary: Riko doesn't like exercising, but she does it for the sake of her girlfriends.





	Swimming Free

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedactedRedacted](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=RedactedRedacted).



> Another commission for the great RedactedRedacted! o7 Thanks a lot, buddy! If you're interested, [here's my commission page~](https://zippyzapmeister.tumblr.com/post/174890507687/kink-prompt-list-well-howdy-yall-its-that)

Riko was hoping she’d get used to how active her girlfriends were as time passed, but she wasn’t sure her body could handle waiting. Kanan and You were passionate about physical activity, no matter what form it was in. Often, one of them would call Riko at the crack of dawn, and they’d go biking (Riko’s favorite, if she  _ had _ to choose) or jogging (Kanan’s favorite) or do weight training at the gym (You’s favorite). At first, Riko thought it’d be good for her. After all, she was expected to dance in Aqours, and being physically fit was the first step to staying talented. 

 

But there was a very clear line between staying fit and being worked until all of her muscles burned.

 

At the very least, sometimes they let Riko choose what they did, although “staying in the house” was never a choice. She’d choose biking, usually, since it was less taxing than the alternatives. However, one summer day, Kanan proposed another option. “We can go use Mari’s pool,” she said. “The hotel lets her bring her friends in.”

 

“Is it really alright if it’s just us? It’d be a little weird if she wasn’t there.” That was Riko’s way of trying to get out of suffering, but it was also just polite. 

 

Mari had already brainwashed most of Aqours into using her riches as their own, though. With that, they were walking into the huge glass double doors of Mari’s hotel with towels and swimsuits. Riko knew she was in for a hell of a day, because Kanan and You hadn’t brought any pool toys. No noodles, no inner tubes, no water guns. Just them and the pool.

 

_ This might be fun, _ Riko thought. Then again, could exercising ever really be fun? “Cool! They have lap lanes,” You cheered. The intent to exercise and nothing more was  _ very _ clear. “What’s the plan, Kanan-chan?”

 

“Hmm. Well, first we’ve gotta stretch. After that...I’m thinking forty laps, then we can take a break,” Kanan said. “Hey, maybe we should have a race!”

 

You and Kanan chit-chatted excitedly about the possibility of a race as they all began to stretch. Riko had tried to half-ass her stretches before, but she was dismayed to learn that they actually served a purpose: she cramped up not too soon after they started running. Even though she was stretching intensely, she was still focused on finding an excuse to not exercise...especially if she was going to be doing  _ forty _ laps. And then they were taking a break? What would happen  _ after _ the break?!

 

Riko could smell the chlorine in the air, and the skylight over the pool made the rippling water seem oh-so appealing. Just for once, she wanted to  _ relax. _ Riko loved her girlfriends so much, but she had limits. She didn’t want to exercise all of the time. She wanted to splash around and get piggyback rides in the water-

 

“Alright, Riko-chan! Upsy-daisy,” You said. Kanan and You were done stretching and ready to roll. Riko stood, trying to will herself to say what she really wanted. However, as always, she was lost in love. She wanted nothing more than to make Kanan and You happy...not to mention, there was a clear two-against-one vote.

 

“Alright...let’s get started,” Riko sighed.

* * *

For the first five laps, Riko was feeling fine. After moving to Uchiura, she was well-versed in the art of swimming. When she hit lap ten, she started to feel a little bored with going back and forth, but her body felt fine. At lap twenty, the exhaustion hit her hard...and she noticed that You and Kanan were already finished, sitting at the edge of the pool.

 

Riko stopped swimming.

 

“Hey! What’s up? Did you get a cramp?” Kanan playfully splashed Riko, who was frowning too hard to react.

 

“I can’t finish. There’s no way I can finish! I feel like my legs are made out of paper,” Riko said. There was a clear whine in her voice, but she didn’t care. You and Kanan really should have been used to it by then; Riko was clearly a lot less proficient and headstrong than the both of them.  _ Darn it...now I feel like I’m going to cry...! _

 

“Why not? If we can finish, you can finish! You’ve got it, Riko-chan!” You started to clap, and Kanan followed.

 

It was a little entertaining, but not as encouraging as they thought it was. They were being serious, Riko knew it, but it only made her feel silly.  _ But they’re trying...they really want you to succeed at it. _ Riko couldn’t be angry. In fact, she was the exact opposite. She wanted nothing more than to prove them right. Maybe she  _ could _ do it. 

 

The sound of their clapping and cheering got louder as Riko dipped back beneath the water, but she could hardly hear it. She didn’t even bother looking through her goggles. She shut her eyes and kicked her legs and pushed her arms as hard as she could. She counted the laps one by one, and found that the more determined she got, the faster they went by. Her heart was pumping hard, trying to accomodate the sudden burst of energy.

 

When she hit lap thirty, she paused again, catching her breath. The moment her head popped above the water, You and Kanan were clapping louder. “Only ten more, Riko-chan,” Kanan said. She crouched down and tousled Riko’s wet hair. “You were really kicking up water in there! You’re doing great!”

 

“Hah...thanks,” Riko said. She was dizzy with adrenaline. “It kind of feels like you two are my swimming coaches when you’re standing outside of the pool cheering me on like that.”

 

Riko just barely shielded herself from the splash of water when Kanan jumped into the lane next to her...as if she wasn’t already drenched in pool water. “You jump in too, You-chan. We’re gonna finish with her!”

 

Before Riko knew it, You and Kanan were on either side of her, ready to push off of the walls of the pool. “Alrighty, Riko-chan. Let’s finish strong,” You said. “Yousoro!”

 

Riko gave You the most energetic salute she could manage, even though her arms were getting sore. All three of them dove underwater. When Riko looked to either side of her, she could see that they were keeping pace with her, clearly slowing themselves down so that they wouldn’t outswim her. Riko kind of felt like she was being babied, but she liked having them right at her side. 

 

The spike in speed that Riko had had before slowly dissipated, and by the time they were finishing out the last lap, Riko had Kanan and You moving at a snail’s pace beside her. Nonetheless, they finished. 

 

Once they were done, You and Kanan ducked under the lane dividers to pull Riko into a hug. If nothing else, exercising  _ did _ feel rather rewarding. Her body felt on fire, but in the good way more than the bad way. Not to mention, having Kanan and You squeezing her so tight and kissing her cheeks made it even better. “I actually finished,” Riko said. She looked out at the lane before her. She had done  _ that _ forty times?! 

 

“We told you you could,” You said. 

 

“I think we tuckered you out today. Don’t worry about doing laps again.” 

 

You nodded in agreement, but Riko was looking at the lane again. It looked so long, and the water was still swaying from their efforts...as if it were challenging her. “W-wait! We can do it again. After we take a break.”

 

Kanan and You looked equally shocked. You laughed, “Geez, Riko-chan. Did you swallow too much chlorine?”

 

“I’m not kidding! I want to swim some more laps, without stopping this time.” Riko paused, then reconsidered her words. What had gotten into her? She wasn’t an exercise junkie by all means, but she seemed to be quickly turning into one. Looking at You and Kanan, though, smiling proudly, she realized that she had a bit of an incentive... “A-as long as you two swim with me.”


End file.
